Brigands v Old Woks, 13 September 2026
Updated: 2 days ago
During Cup Final Grandstand in 1979, the impish Des Lynam set viewers a riddle. What is brought to the FA Cup Final every year, but never used?
I thought about that on the way to Broadhalfpenny Down for the last game of the Brigands season, after the hottest summer on record and the first I can remember without a ball lost to rain. In my bag was my valued Brigands sleeveless sweater. I have carried it to every game this year and haven't used it once.
As a boy I loved Cup Final Grandstand: the long build-up, the coach leaving the hotel, the cameras in the dressing room, supporters who would get their one day at Wembley and no more.
The 1979 final was the best of them. Arsenal were 2-0 up with five minutes left when Gordon McQueen and Sammy McIlroy levelled it for Manchester United inside two minutes, only for Alan Sunderland to win it 3-2 with the last touch of the match. "Alan in Wonderland" ran the headlines. A finish worthy of the Brigands.
My grandad Albert adored sport. In that spring of 1979 I would show him my Panini sticker album with a complete Nottingham Forest line-up, and he would tell me about Stanley Matthews. He loved the Cup above all, for its Corinthian spirit and because any team could win it. It was his last final. His body had been ravaged by the years as a prisoner of war, and by the John Player tobacco factory in Nottingham.
He would have had time for Jake Peach. An honest cricketer, a team player, the first name you want on the sheet. Peach made another fifty on a slow, damp, sticky-pudding of a wicket; 52 not out from 46 balls before retiring with the score at 181-4. He finishes the season with a Bradmanesque batting average of 96 and 33 wickets, more than anyone else.
Earlier, Neil Wood got us going with two square cut boundaries in the first over and put on 58 for the first wicket with Jim Morris, who was flowing with his on drives. Wood skied an off drive to Gerry Northwood, guesting for the Old Wykehamists, and Morris missed a slow straight one from Ed Daniels.
I made 34, including a six over deep square leg, and Steve Blackburn hit 19 before being caught by Northwood, who was having a productive afternoon. Dave Turner and Guy Ladenburg finished on 17 apiece, and we declared on 210-4 off 33 overs.
Tea included a choice of sausage rolls (herb or chilli), sandwiches, flapjack, Pam's scones, Victoria sponge and more, laid on by Laura Northwood, her American aunt, and Justine Morris.
Aaron Saunders was awarded his Brigands cap on his birthday, in only his third game. Northwood, about to open the batting for the opposition, presented it and called Saunders one of the more talented and younger players to get one.
Mike Beardall opened the bowling downhill, Rafi Abdeen uphill from the pavilion end. Northwood pushed his second ball to Ladenburg at midwicket and ran out Will Poole-Wilson, Hugh Elliston was bowled by Abdeen, and the Old Woks were 9-2 inside four overs.
They were rebuilding when Will Drew edged one through the slips. Graham Peach threw out an arm and the ball lodged in his palm; the best catch of the season, and his 96th for the Brigands. Four more and he will be the first Brigand to 100.
Ladenburg had the ball on a string: seven overs, four maidens, 9 runs, two wickets, Northwood lbw among them. Jake Peach added a couple of wickets: one in his first over and one in his last.
Ben Donald was the only Old Wok to get to grips with the pace of the pitch, marshalling his way to 39 with six fours before a Neil Wood slower ball hit his middle stump, the second of two wickets to fall at 99 in the space of three balls.
By now we were into the last 20 overs of the season. The light was fading and the lamps of the Bat and Ball lit the eastern boundary. Two wickets to get, but only one arrived quickly. Chris Nicholls came in with a pristine Kookaburra bat and hit a simple catch to cover.
Tom Thompson and Charlie Hurd dug in for seven overs of careful leaves, nervous prods and forward defence. Then a low Abdeen full toss surprised Thompson and he looped it to Ladenburg at midwicket to end the match and the season.
Runs, wickets and catches were shared around; six bowlers took a wicket each or better and nobody went home empty-handed. Ray Holyer and Peter Danks scored, Bryan Burns and Keith Martin umpired.
There was time for a last round of drinks and chips at the Bat and Ball, and an end-of-season snap of players, umpires and supporters. Everyone had turned up, and everyone had been used. Unlike the runners-up ribbons, which are brought to every FA Cup Final and never are.
Albert would have approved.
Brigands 210-4 declared beat Old Wykehamists 121 by 89 runs. Brigands finish the season with 10 wins, 9 losses, and 5 draws. 9 of the 24 matches were "close finishes" that could have been won by either side with 5 overs to go.
Albert (left) was stationed in Egypt during World War II. Then after the war, with bat in hand, in Scarborough.
Photo credits Dave Henderson, Lee Gray, Adam Jay, PA Images.
A moving and epic final match report to carry us through the long winter to come. Great job Hendo 👏